People

Principal consultant Merlin McKenzie holds a B.Sc in mathematics from Canterbury University, and an MS in computer science from Purdue University. As a scientist at the NZ Forest Research Institute (now Scion) he specialised in development of software and systems for the commercial forestry sector. His influential contributions to the sector over this period included design and development of the MARVL system for pre-harvest inventory, as well as some of NZs first database applications for management of plantation forestry. He spent five years as Information Systems Manager at the Institute, before leaving to start his own company, Centralis Limited. Merlin also acts as a Software Development Manager of exSITEz Ltd, a provider of technical software and services for tree breeders and forestry companies.

Senior consultant Mark Hunter holds a B.Com with majors in Economics and Information Science and B.A. with a major in Philosophy, both degrees from Otago University. He has over eighteen years’ software development experience as a project manager, solutions architect, business analyst and programmer. Mark has worked on information systems projects in a variety of industries including forestry, education, manufacturing, distribution, and government. He has extensive experience with key IT technologies including SAP, Microsoft’s .Net platform, SQL databases, data warehousing, and a range of wireless handheld technologies.

Developer Howlan Ho holds an NZCDP qualification from Waikato Technical Institute and has undertaken further tertiary study in information systems through Massey University. She has worked professionally in software development since 1982 in a wide variety of commercial and technical applications from laboratory data capture to sawmill and log yard inventory and management.

General Manager Heather McKenzie has a B.For.Sc degree from Canterbury University. She worked in management of forestry operations at Kaingaroa Forest, then as a scientist at Forest Research Institute (now Scion) specialising in silviculture and wood properties of eucalypts and other non-radiata pine species. In addition to skills in project management of multidisciplinary teams, she brings a practictioner's perspective to evaluation and testing of technical and management software.